Rule 28
by KataHime
Summary: It's one of Gibbs' simpler rules: When you need help, ask. Vance takes it upon himself to rectify one of Jen's past Directorial decisions, much to Abby's chagrin. OT3 GJA


**Rule 28**

**Summary: It's one of Gibbs' simpler rules: When you need help, ask. Vance takes it upon himself to rectify one of Jen's past Directorial decisions, much to Abby's chagrin.**

**A/N: Set in the Two-teams AU, Abby's POV**

It was a rarity that Abby Sciuto slept past 0500 on a normal day. She was normally at HQ by 0600, throwing herself into her work whole-hardily. And while she loved her job, she enjoyed sleeping in on Saturdays, at least for a couple of hours, longer if there wasn't a need for her. And maybe, just maybe, she would be lucky enough on a Saturday to grab a cup of coffee and watch the sunrise with her loves. She cherished those 20 minutes in the morning more than anything.

It was as natural as air, falling asleep between them, as she always slept well next to Gibbs and Jen; it was a deep sleep, restful; peaceful. So, of course, her peaceful sleep is interrupted by the ringing of not one but two cell phones.

"Gibbs."

"Shepard."

Her lovers are quiet as they answer, and she's grateful for that, even though she knows they won't be coming back to bed. She buries her head into the pillow below her, shutting her eyes tighter. It was too early to be up on a Saturday.

"On my way, DiNozzo."

"Be there soon, Quinn."

She was really looking forward to getting a couple more hours of sleep. Instead, she accepts their kisses as they lean over her. She snuggles into the covers, not wanting to let the heat out, even though she knew she wouldn't be falling back asleep. Her lovers are already slipping from bed, and she catches sight of the time, just barely 0530; she sighs as she stares up at the ceiling. Early morning cases sucked.

* * *

There was nothing Abby hated more than waiting, besides people who kicked puppies. Her Saturday morning routine already ruined, she'd hoped to get right to work. So, Leon's phone call before she'd left the house this morning, requesting her presence when she got in, was just another inconvenience. She paced the hallway between MTAC's door and the door to Cynthia's small reception area, waiting for her okay. If any agents were giving her weird looks, well that was fine.

"Abby?"

She paused mid-turn, her eyes following the sound of her name. Forensic Psychologist Jacqueline Sloane was staring at her from the doorway of her office, an amused smile on her lips.

"Hi, Jack," she smiled brightly at the woman, turning to face her.

"What are you doing up here?" The blonde stepped from her office.

"Got a meeting with Leon," she answered.

While most people would call him either Director or Director Vance, she couldn't get the hang of it, especially not after three years of calling Jen Director. Sure, there were instances where she did call him Director, but it was mostly Leon. She supposed he didn't mind much, as she'd heard both her lovers and Jack call him by his first name.

"Ah," Jack gestured towards her office, "Why don't you come get a lollipop while you wait?"

She nodded, joining her in her office. If this was an experiment on Jack's part, she didn't want to know. She plucked a purple lollipop from the bowl, a decision she made quickly: a mix of blue for Gibbs and red for Jen. Jack observed her quietly, and she caught the subtle nod she gave herself. Definitely some kind of profiling.

"Thanks!" She said with a smile, popping it into her mouth.

"You're welcome," she was almost out the door when Jack spoke again, "We can talk, you know, Abby? Just us. About anything."

She knew what Jack was offering: a confidant; conversations that would never leave the room. Briefly, her mind flashes to seeing both her lovers lying in hospital beds, the explosion on the ship and shootout in the diner two years apart, evidence she'd had to run while her heart was breaking and nightmares plagued her. Too much alcohol on the nights when she was sure she would lose them. She trusted Jack, she did. She just wasn't that comfortable opening up like that, confidential or otherwise.

"Thanks, but I'm good, Jack."

"If you change your mind," the blonde paused for half a second, "my door is always open."

She nods in acknowledgment before heading back to pace.

She only has to wait a few more minutes before Cynthia comes to get her, curious as to why she chose to wait in the hallway instead of at her reception desk. She didn't have the heart to tell her it was because she associated her with being Jen's assistant, even after all these months.

* * *

If she thought that today started horrible, she was mistaken. This moment took the cake.

"You look like I've strangled your cat, Miss Sciuto." She did _not _need an assistant. She still had nightmares of last time. Leon continued, oblivious to her internal struggle, "I know you've had issues with assistants in the past."

That was the understatement of the year. Chip had come at her _with a knife _after trying to frame Tony for murder. As tired as she'd been, if it hadn't been for the adrenaline rush and caffeine, she would be dead.

"Leon…"

"But," he continued as if he didn't hear her, "I can assure you that we've had her fully background checked and psych-evaled."

"My last assistant…"

"Charles Sterling should never have gotten past his background check, Miss Sciuto."

"I don't care," she kept her voice from shaking, just barely, feeling the start of an anxiety attack that she trampled down, "I don't need an assistant."

"Except when Tom was Director, you were heard muttering that you needed one."

"That was…"

"And during the Arnett case," he continued, "you were heard saying, quite loudly I might at, that you were overworked, tired and taken for granted."

"It was a rough case," she managed weakly. She hadn't meant any of those things. It had just been a long day at the office, too long without sleep, frustration over a job offer that she would never take but her coworkers kept bringing up.

"And you're processing evidence for not only Gibbs' team but also Jenny's, and any other team who needs it. It can be a lot to handle."

Okay, so maybe it was, but she'd been dealing with it, even before Chip, even before Jen got her own team. It wasn't like she couldn't keep track of whose evidence was whose.

"Leon," she pleaded, pacing in front of his desk. It was so weird, even after all these months, to walk in and see him and not Jen. And even though she knew Jen was downstairs, it was still… "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Just give it a week," he replied, "One week, and if you don't think it'll work out, we can have another chat."

"I gave Chip a week, and he tried to kill me," she countered darkly.

"Miss Sciuto," Leon said with an exasperated sigh, "he also worked under you for nearly two months."

And in those two months, he'd helped process nearly 25 cases, cases that she had to go back over with a fine-tooth comb to make sure he hadn't butchered the evidence. She wasn't sure what she would have done if Jen hadn't found two extremely vetted and temporary lab techs to help her.

Despite herself, she felt a hint of a smile slip onto her lips, "Fine; one week."

"Good," he offered her what passed as a smile, his toothpick twitching slightly in his mouth, "She's en-route to NCIS as we speak. I'll bring her down to your lab when she gets here."

With that, he dismissed her, and she took her leave with a smile; it instantly slipped off her face the moment she was out on the catwalk. Today _really _couldn't get any worse, right?

* * *

Numeriklab was playing throughout the lab as she worked. It was a tedious job sometimes, but she couldn't imagine doing anything else. She started by separating the two victims' clothing before turning to the first set. She was buried up to her arms in evidence when she heard the elevator signal an arrival. Knowing it couldn't be either of her lovers, she steeled her nerves.

"Miss Sciuto," Leon called over the music, and she felt a lead ball settle in her stomach.

She lowered her music down to a quieter decibel, turning to face her fate.

The young woman looks normal enough. She wore a pair of glasses, faded jeans and a red, long-sleeve shirt. There was a nervous smile on her lips, a glint of wonder in her eyes as she surveyed her surroundings briefly before focusing back on her. _Please don't be crazy _.

"Miss Sciuto, this is Kasie Hines, your new assistant."

She and the young woman stared at each other for a moment. She wasn't normally like this, welcoming to nearly everyone she met, the few exceptions being anyone who gave her a hinky feeling, but she couldn't help the way she was feeling. Her last assistant had seemed normal enough before turning out to be a sociopath, so of course she was still a bit apprehensive.

But Leon had said she'd been fully evaluated, so she should trust him. She took a breath before she stepped forward with a tentative smile, "Hi, uh, welcome to NCIS. I'm Abby Sciuto."

"Kasie. You're a living legend where I'm from, Abby. This is such an amazing opportunity. Thank you so much."

She looks back at Leon, confusion in her eyes. Just what had he done? He offers her a small smile and subtle nod, "I see you're in good hands here, Miss Hines. I'll leave you to it."

"Thank you, Director," Kasie replies with a smile of her own as she turned back to him.

She offered her own smile, not as bright as normal, feeling completely out of control, and he smirks just slightly, "Miss Sciuto, keep up the good work."

And then she was left with a new assistant she knew nothing about and evidence that needed to be processed. She turns back to Kasie, hearing the elevator arrive. They stare at each other for a moment, before she takes another breath and starts speaking.

"These cases are super important, Kasie, but first, I'm going to need to you do something for me."

"What's that?"

She holds out a necklace with a bell on it; the sound would be different enough that she would hear it over her music; she blushed, feeling just the tiniest bit embarrassed, "I need you to wear this for a bit. My last assistant was a bit crazy."

Kasie takes it with a smile, puts it on, "I read all about it in the paper when it happened. I understand."

Feeling relieved at the cooperation, she started rambling on about the cases, "Okay, so I've already separated Gibbs' case from Jenny's. I've also got blood analysis running, so why don't you start by testing the samples of skin from under Victim A's fingernails?"

Kasie grabbed a pair of gloves and nodded towards the CD player, the bell ringing quietly at the movement, "You can turn that up if you'd like. Is Victim A Gibbs' case or Shepard's?"

She found herself relaxing as she turned her music back up, "Gibbs'."

* * *

It's nearly an hour later when her lovers come down for updates. When Jen had first gotten her team, it had been tricky for her lovers to keep out of each other's cases. They each wanted to put their own theory out there, wanted to help. And that led to disagreements and silent dinners at home; it led to nights where she would much rather sleep on the couch because they were being unreasonable, but she didn't want to leave the space between them empty, had become too accustomed to them beside her.

Now, however, they could come down to the lab together, get their updates separately, and bounce theories back and forth over dinner. She didn't really understand what had changed. She supposed it just took time for them to adjust. And maybe that was all they needed.

She doesn't even notice them at first, the arrival of the elevator muffled out by the demonstration Kasie was showing her on the plasma screen. In fact, it's not until Kasie suddenly stops talking that she realizes they're no longer alone.

She turned around, brightening at her lovers, "Gibbs, Jenny! I don't have anything for you yet," She takes the Caf-Pow from Gibbs regardless, needing the caffeine.

"Who's…" Gibbs started.

She cut him off, "This is Kasie Hines, my new assistant. Kasie, Special Agents Gibbs and Shepard."

"This is like the best day of my life," Kasie gushed, "And such an honor to meet you both."

"Assistant?" Jen asked.

"I know, I know," Kasie responded, not picking up on the annoyance in Jen's voice, "it's a Saturday, but when Director Vance called saying Abby had decided to accept me for her assistant position, well, I came over as fast as I could."

"Right now it's just a week," She quickly cut in with a smile, "but Kasie is already doing a great job."

"You don't _do _assistants," Jen replied.

"Can't really tell the Director no, can I?"

There's a spark of annoyance in Jen's eyes as she bit out, "Didn't stop you before."

She averted her eyes, swallowing hard under the weight of the comment. She knew Jen didn't mean it, was just angry, but still…

"Nothing on the clothes yet, Abbs?" Gibbs asked, steering the conversation back to the cases.

"Still running," Kasie piped up when she doesn't answer.

"Blood?"

"Also still running," Kasie gave them both a side-eye, and then directed her question at Gibbs, "Should we?"

"No," Jen growled out, finally looking away from her, "Anything else?"

"Still waiting on the ballistics too," She muttered.

Gibbs smiled, taking Jen's arm, "Later, Jen. Back to work, Abbs." She frowned at them, before nodding to him. He looked back at Kasie, "You have a favorite drink, Kasie?"

"Rum and Coke."

She couldn't stop the smile from slipping onto her face, sees the one on Jen's face at the comment.

"At work," Gibbs deadpanned, but she can make out the slight quirk of his lips.

"Iced tea from Pinky's."

He nodded, looks back at her for a moment reassuringly, before leading Jen back to the elevator. She sighed softly, running a hand over her face.

Jen already hated that Vance seemed to have a better reputation with the SecNav than she'd had, had felt the misogyny all three years she'd been Director, and here she was rubbing it in her face that she'd let Leon talk her into an assistant.

"I'm so sleeping on the couch tonight," She muttered to herself.

"What was that?" Kasie asked.

"Nothing," she took a large sip of her Caf-Pow, "let's get back to work."

* * *

She let Kasie leave around 1900 hours after exchanging numbers. There wasn't much to do besides catalog the evidence back into the evidence garage for the night, and that wouldn't take long. She shut off her unused babies for the night, leaving the important ones running. She'd have to stop sometime in the morning to check the progress, but she doubted anything would be done until Monday morning.

Making her way up to the bullpen, she wasn't surprised to find the teams already gone for the night. No one wanted to be here late on a Saturday. Still, her lovers were waiting for her. Jen sat on the corner of Gibbs' desk, while Gibbs goes over some last minute case notes; she sighed, standing in front of her until Jen turns to face her, quirking an eyebrow in amusement.

"Abby?"

"I couldn't tell him no," she started, "He was all 'I know you've had issues with assistants in the past' and 'She's been fully evaluated.' And Kasie is really, _really _nice. And I get why you're mad at me, but you can't take it out on Kasie."

"I'm not mad at you, Abbs."

She tilted her head, confused, "You're not?"

Before Jen could answer, Leon's voice came from behind them as he stepped into Team Gibbs' bullpen, "How was Miss Hines' first day, Miss Sciuto?"

She turned to him with a smile, "It was good. She was good, knew her stuff."

"So maybe we could make it permanent?"

"Leon," It's Gibbs' voice, aspirated and tired, that rung out before she could even open her mouth, "wait a week before hounding her, would ya?"

"Anything to add, Jenny?" Leon asked, his tone lit with a mixture of amusement and resignation, as if he was expecting their negativity at the assistant idea. And maybe he was.

"Nothing that would be appropriate," Jen commented dryly.

She didn't register that Gibbs has even moved until he's placing a hand on her low back, and she barely suppresses the shudder that ran along her spine as he spoke to Vance, "Have a good night, Leon."

"Heading home so early?" The knowing tone in his voice made her nervous.

"No one likes 5:30 am wake up calls, Leon." Jen's tone was decidedly frosty, "Makes for a long day."

She could hear what wasn't said. _No one likes to leave their slumbering lover alone in bed on a day off work _.

His eyes move between the three of them, a level of knowing in his eyes, before settling back on her, "Have a good night."

She merely nodded, forcing a smile onto her lips.

* * *

Later that night, she settled back on the bed between Gibbs and Jen, smiling contently. It was always nice to end the day on a high note, even if it didn't start that way. And maybe she had an ulterior motive to coming home early; after all, she really didn't get the Saturday morning wake-up call she'd wanted. And, like always, they knew what she wanted.

She felt Jen start to run her hands along her hips and then up her back, moving back down to grab her ass; she shivered and turned into her, pulling her into a kiss. Jen smirked in contentment as she kissed her back. From behind her, she felt Gibbs begin to press kisses along her neck, and she whimpered into Jen's mouth at his ministrations. Finally, she couldn't take it, pulling reluctantly from Jen's mouth to pull Gibbs into a kiss, and could taste the victorious smirk he wore.

"You," Jen's voice was a quiet purr in her ear as she toyed with the hem of her shirt, "are wearing too many clothes."

Gibbs hummed in agreement, pulling from the kiss. She frowned at the loss, obligatorily pulling off her shirt and throwing it somewhere. She's sure the smirk Jen wore was permanent as the redhead pulled her back towards her while Gibbs leans in again. In the quiet of the dark, it didn't take her lovers long to finish removing her clothes, and she took great pleasure in helping them removing theirs.

It didn't matter what the next day would bring, even the next week. As long as she had them to come home to at night, she would get through anything.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review!**


End file.
